Bringing the seasoned practitioner up to date and providing students with a solid grounding in practice, this book explores how to teach and practice therapy in today's health care environment.
Now in its fifth edition, The Practice of Family Therapy comes at a time when traditional approaches to psychotherapy have given way to multidimensional strategies that best serve the needs of diverse groups who are grappling with the many challenges unique to family therapy practice. With expanded coverage of different models, along with new developments in evidence-based and postmodern practices, this integrative textbook bridges the gap between science and systemic/relational approaches, as it guides the reader through each stage of family therapy. Part I lays the groundwork by introducing the first-, second-, and third-generation models of family therapy, teaching the reader to integrate different elements from these models into a systemic structure of practice. Part II explores the practical application of these models, including scripts for specific interventions and rich case examples that highlight how to effectively work with diverse client populations. Students will learn how to make connections between individual symptoms and cutting-edge family practices to respond successfully to cases of substance abuse, trauma, grief, depression, suicide risk, violence, LGBTQ families, and severely mentally ill clients and their families. Also included are study guides for each model and a glossary to review main concepts. Aligned with the Association of Marital and Family Therapy Regulatory Boards’ (AMFTRB) knowledge and content statements, this textbook will be key reading for graduate students who are preparing for the national licensing exam in marriage and family therapy.
The teaching of family therapy has been the subject of serious scrutiny since the onset of training and accreditation many years ago, yet there are relatively few attempts to apply what we know about systems and the ways they change family therapy teaching as a two-way process. It is as though family therapy teachers were preoccupied with the content of what should be taught, and were not able to direct their attention to the process by which people learned. The authors began by describing the way they conceptualize the "learning context" which sets the frame for all the teaching they do. Then they discuss the process of setting up a family therapy course, e.g. "What is the best way to negotiate with a training officer to set up a course in a local area?". The book then moves to creating the course syllabus, and some of the practical problems-from lateness to mechanical failures-of getting the course off the ground.
A complete and accessible resource for working with couples and families Becoming a Family Counselor sets a new standard for family therapy texts. Working from a broad historical orientation, it focuses on the common themes that reappear across various theoretical approaches and connects family practice with individual approaches. Crossing boundaries of generation, gender, race, and culture, this useful introduction presents current thinking related to today's practice issues. The text begins with an overview of couple and family counseling, emphasizing the diversity and unity in the field. The development of the field is examined, from its roots in the nineteenth century through its identity crisis in the 1980s. Subsequent chapters lay out an integrated approach to contemporary family research, theory, and therapy; core chapters focus on understanding the contributions of behavioral, organizational, narrative, emotional, and spiritual perspectives. The last section of the book offers practical chapters on conducting family therapy in organizational contexts that often define the client in individual terms. Readers are encouraged to balance a change orientation with a respect for continuity and tradition. Complete with illuminating case studies, self-evaluation exercises, suggestions for independent study, and current ethics codes, Becoming a Family Counselor is a dynamic resource suitable for both students and practicing mental health professionals.
Over the last three decades, family therapy has revolutionized the mental health field, changing the way human problems are conceived and therapy is conducted. In concert with the dynamic growth of family therapy, the field of family therapy training and supervision has also expanded enormously yielding many new ideas and skills. Yet, until now, few books have been devoted to it, and no single volume has attempted to relate the full breadth of this growing field in terms of its conceptual and theoretical expansion as well as its practical application. HANDBOOK OF FAMILY THERAPY TRAINING AND SUPERVISION fills this need by presenting a truly comprehensive view of this dynamic area. To accomplish this broad yet in-depth scope, editors Liddle, Breunlin, and Schwartz have assembled 30 highly acclaimed authorities to author chapters in their respective areas of expertise. For further clarification, the editors have included segues that introduce and analyze each of the book's four major sections providing the reader with an overview of the section, highlights of themes that run through it, and discussion of the issues raised in a way that ties the chapters together. The book opens with a presentation of the unique and innovative approaches to training and supervision that have evolved in each separate school of family therapy. Offering a panoramic view of the entire field of family therapy, these seven chapters allow for fascinating comparisons among the different schools regarding the process by which ideas about therapy evolve into training techniques and philosophies. Section II follows with an explication of the pragmatics of family therapy supervision. Helping family therapy trainers avoid and anticipate the common mistakes involved with supervision, the skills described in this section create an atmosphere conducive to learning and maintaining a working trainer-trainee relationship, and finally, for training of supervisors. Practical guidelines for using live and video supervision are included. Section III features family therapy trainers in such diverse fields as psychiatry, psychology, family medicine, social work, nursing, free-standing and academic family therapy programs, who describe the problems and advantages they encounter teaching these new ideas within their idiosyncratic contexts. The book closes with a section that includes reflections on the field by such innovative and respected leaders as Cloe Madanes and Jay Haley. Among topics covered are perspectives and recommendations for researchers evaluating family therapy, practical advice for incorporating a cultural perspective into training programs, feedback on the experience of live supervision from trainees' perspectives. An appendix follows that provides over 400 references organized by subject for easy reference. Given the level and scope of this extraordinary text, FAMILY THERAPY TRAINING AND SUPERVISION is an invaluable resource for anyone interested in teaching, learning, or simply appreciating family therapy.
No other available text offers such a hands-on approach to marriage and family therapy theory. At the core of Systemic Family Therapy are comprehensive sections devoted to each developmental phase of the family therapy movement. With clear descriptions and session-by-session case examples, the author explores specific approaches within each of these phases. With this pragmatic tenor, students will gain a clear and in-depth understanding of how family theory concepts relate to practice–as well as ways those concepts interact with each other. Key Features Uses specific examples and session-by-session case studies to illustrate how theoretical construct actually work in practice Outlines the shifts in thinking of the family therapy field–from modern to postmodern Uses rich graphic representations and straightforward tables to illustrate key theoretical concepts Incorporates compelling questions and learning exercises that will lead to dynamic class discussions Intended Audience A refreshing departure from traditional instruction of family therapy theory, this core textbook is an excellent resource for upper-level undergraduate and graduate students of family therapy, counseling, social work, and family studies.
In Group Filial Therapy (GFT), therapists train parents to conduct play sessions with their own children to help meet children's therapeutic needs, and to transfer appropriate skills to family life. Based on parents' application of Child-Centred Play Therapy, taught and supervised by filial therapists, this evidence-based method is highly effective for working with families from diverse backgrounds and locations. This book provides an accessible guide to the theory and practice of GFT, and for the first time offers step-by-step guidelines for implementing the GFT program developed by Dr Guerney, the co-creator of Filial Therapy. Important practical considerations are addressed by Dr Guerney and Dr Ryan, such as how to determine the composition of groups and the duration of programs, and how to conduct Filial Therapy intakes. The facilitative attitudes and skills needed to be an effective Filial Therapy group leader are also described, and comprehensive instructions for implementing Dr Guerney's 20-week model of GFT are provided. The book closes with examples of how the program may be adapted to meet the needs of special groups. Replete with examples and dialogues bringing to life the group process, this definitive guide will enable therapists already familiar with the method, as well as those wishing to learn it, to maximise the fulfilment of therapeutic goals for participating families. Practitioners in mental health, social services and counselling, as well as parenting experts, play and filial therapists and therapists in training will find that this book expands and enriches the services they can offer their clients.
This text provides students of family therapy with a unique opportunity to understand and compare the inner workings of 14 traditional and non-traditional family therapy models. The book demonstrates, through innovative “guiding templates,” how the different therapeutic models are applied in an actual family therapy situation. The second edition features a new chapter on neuroscience, new interviews with master therapists on topics such as LGBT families, EMDR and research, and coverage of ethical issues concerning electronic safety and telephonic therapy. Overviews of every model include history, views of change, views of the family, and the role of the therapist. Chapters on every model also provide responses to one, realistic case study with commentary and analysis by master therapists to illustrate how each one addresses the same scenario. Interviews with master therapists illustrate how each mode of therapy actually “works” and how therapists “do it.” Print version of the book includes free, searchable, digital access to the entire contents! New to the Second Edition: Examines neuroscience and its role in family therapy New chapter on solution focused narrative therapy with families Includes enhanced coverage of self-care and mindfulness for the therapist Contains educator resources including instructor’s manual, PowerPoint slides, and a test bank Updated references provide current developments in the field of marriage and family therapy Provides insight on submitting research articles for publication through an interview with a current journal editor Reports on current, revised ethical guidelines from the AAMFT Key Features: Provides a guiding template for each family therapy model from assessment through termination Describes a practice-oriented approach to family therapy Uses a single case study throughout the book where different approaches to therapy are applied by master therapists Introduces the theory, history, theoretical assumptions, techniques, and components of each model Includes numerous interviews, case study commentary, and analyses by master therapists
Gain confidence and creativity in your family therapy interventions with new, up-to-date research! Basic Concepts in Family Therapy: An Introductory Text, Second Edition, presents twenty-two basic psychological concepts that therapists may use to understand clients and provide successful services to them. Each chapter focuses on a single concept using material from family therapy literature, basic psychological and clinical research studies, and cross-cultural research studies. Basic Concepts in Family Therapy is particularly useful to therapists working in a family context with child- or adolescent-referred problems, and for students and clinicians treating the problems they see every day in their community. The book builds on the strengths of the first edition, incorporating ideas and articles that have become worthy of investigating since 1990 into the original text. This new edition also introduces five new chapters on resiliency and poverty, adoption, chronic illness, spirituality and religion, and parenting strategies. The new chapters make the book far more relevant for students and clinicians try ing to use family theory and technique in response to the problems they see in their communities. Basic Concepts in Family Therapy will assist you in offering clients better services by providing a deeper understanding of the contemporary family in its various forms, the psychological bonds that shape all families, and the developmental stages of the family life cycle. This exploration of how family demography, stages and life cycles affect family functions is a solid foundation from which all of the therapeutic concepts in this book can be explored. Some of the facets of family therapy you will explore in Basic Concepts in Family Therapy are: the importance of spirituality and religion in family therapy generational boundaries, closeness, and role behaviors managing a family's emotions defining problems and generating and evaluating possible solutions teaching children specific attitudes, values, social skills, and norms transracial adoptions and normative processes and developmental issues of adoptive parents strategies for reducing conflict . . . and much more! Basic Concepts in Family Therapy will help to broaden your understanding of the ways families function in general. You can use the effective concepts explored in this text to make a thorough assessment of the impact of a disorder on a child and on the rest of his or her family, as well as how family dynamics might have shaped or exacerbated the problems. The concepts described in this text can be customized to clients’cultural values to avoid unnecessary resistance. As a new therapist, you will gain confidence in your assessments, and if you are already a seasoned professional, you will gain creativity in your interventions.
This book describes Brief Strategic Family Therapy, a strengths-based model for diagnosing and correcting interaction patterns that are linked to troublesome symptoms in children ages 6 to 18.